Apparatus and Process for Flavoring a Smokable Article

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and process for flavoring a smokable article is disclosed. The apparatus may comprise a sealable or re-sealable container configured to hold the smokable article and a composition containing a flavor configured to be diffusible.

BACKGROUND

Smoking involves many senses, such as taste, feel, smell, and sight. Theflavor of a smoking article is especially critical for the enjoyment ofa smoker as it is related to almost all the senses of smoking.Additionally, a smokable article (e.g., CBD, cannabis, smoking herbs, orany other non-tobacco or tobacco items, etc.) may be flavored to maskthe taste or odor of the tobacco smoke or decrease the social stigmaassociated with smoking.

The flavor of a smokable article is typically added at the end of themanufacturing process, and the flavor option is limited and typicallynot changeable. Taking the popular mint flavored cigarettes as anexample, the mint flavor is generally added to the tobacco or therolling paper during the cigarette manufacturing process. Some tobaccocompanies have developed unconventional flavor delivery mechanisms, suchas using the flavored polymer filter pellet (polyethylene bead), addingflavor micro-encapsulation in the rolling paper or in the packaging,inserting flavor fibers into the filter, or using flavored tips.

Thus, there is a need for an improved apparatus and process to infuse,augment, or otherwise impart different flavors to a smokable article. Aneed also exists for the ability of individual consumers to flavor theirown smokable articles.

SUMMARY

In view of the deficiencies described above, one object of presentdisclosure is to provide an improved apparatus and process for enhancingthe flavor of a smokable article, and make it more desirable than anon-enhanced smokable article. The proposed apparatus and process isalso easy and safe to operate, with a low cost.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for flavoring a smokable article viadiffusion includes a closeable, sealable, or re-sealable containerconfigured to hold the smokable article and a composition containing aflavor configured to be diffusible. The container can be airtight ornon-airtight.

In some embodiments, an apparatus for flavoring a smokable article viadiffusion includes a container configured to hold the smokable articleand a flavor container. The flavor container includes a flavor containerbag configured to hold a composition containing a flavor configured tobe diffusible.

In some embodiments, a method for flavoring a smokable article using aflavor container includes selecting a flavor container, opening theflavor container, placing the smokable article into the flavorcontainer, closing or sealing the flavor container, leaving the smokablearticle in the flavor container for a desired time period, and removingthe smokable article from the flavor container.

In some embodiments, a method for flavoring a smokable article using aflavor container having a composition includes selecting a container,inserting the flavor container into the container, inserting thesmokable article into the container, closing or sealing the container,leaving the smokable article in the container for a desired time period,and removing the smokable article from the container.

In some embodiments, a method for flavoring a smokable article using aflavor container having a composition, includes the steps of selecting aflavor container and composition, opening the flavor container, placingthe flavor container and the smokable article into a container, closingor sealing the container, leaving the flavor container and the smokablearticle in the container for a desired time period, and removing thesmokable article from the container.

These and other advantages and features, which characterize thedisclosure, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming afurther part hereof. However, for a better understanding of thedisclosure, and of the advantages and objectives attained through itsuse, reference should be made to the Drawings, and to the accompanyingdescriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments ofthe disclosure. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selectionof concepts that are further described below in the detaileddescription, and is not intended to identify key or essential featuresof the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aidin limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for flavoring a smokablearticle according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another apparatus for flavoring asmokable article according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another apparatus for flavoring asmokable article according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of another apparatus for flavoring asmokable article according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example sequence of operations forflavoring a smokable article using the apparatus of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example sequence of operations forflavoring a smokable article using the apparatus of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example sequence of operations forflavoring a smokable article using the apparatus of FIG. 3 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Turning now to the drawings, wherein like numbers denote like partsthroughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a flavorcontainer 100 for flavoring a smokable article. As used herein, the term“flavor container” is not to be construed to be limited to a pack or abag-like item, but can be any type of container, airtight or not, smallor large, of any configuration or shape as desired. For example, forsmall or hand-held sizes, it could include a bag, a pouch, a box, a tin,a bin, a bottle, a tube, a jar, or any other container of any size orshape. Indeed, in large-scale commercial embodiments, the flavorcontainer 100 could be any type of room, including but not limited to awalk-in cooler, for example. In some embodiments, flavor container 100may comprise a flavor pack bag 102 configured to hold a smokable article104 and a composition 106 containing a flavor configured to bediffusible. As used throughout this specification and in the claims, theterm “diffusion” and its cognates is intended to also include otherforms and processes for transferring particles from an area of higherconcentration to an area of lower concentration, including, but notlimited to, osmosis, infusion, diffusion, perfusion, suffusion, and thelike. Indeed, the transferring of flavor particles could also beachieved by direct application to the smokable article 104, such as, forexample, by aerolizing the flavor particles and applying (by spraying,as one example) them directly to the smokable article 104. The flavorpack bag 102 may be of various designs and compositions, including butnot limited to, a bag, a tube, a jar, a bottle, a can, a bin, a tin, apouch, a box, and so forth. In some embodiments, the flavor container100 might not include a flavor pack bag 102, but instead might include acomposition 106 or liner 108 that contains the flavor substance, as willbe described herein.

Smokable article 104 may be any pre-manufactured, manufactured, orhomemade or homegrown smokable substances or items. For example,smokable article 104 can include, but is not limited to, traditionalsmokable articles like cigarettes, cigars, or cigarillos, and the like.Smokable article 104 can also include, but is not limited to, otheritems use for or in association with smoking, such as commonly availablepre-rolled cones, pre-rolls, wraps, and rolling paper made from, e.g.,hemp, rice cordia leaf, cellulose, wood pulp, flax, esparto, bamboo,palm leaves, etc. Additionally, other exemplary tobacco orcannabis-related substances may be tobacco, CBD, or cannabisformulations in a loose, leaf, or other form, such as moist snuff or dipproducts, cigarette or cigar or pipe ingredients, loose cannabis, herbs,blends or mixtures of any of the aforesaid, etc., as shown in FIGS.1-3A. In different embodiments, smokable article 104 may be any tobaccoor cannabis related substances, such as tobacco products, as well ascannabis and cannabis-derived products and other base alkaloids.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 , an apparatus 200 for flavoringa smokable article may comprise a container 202 configured to hold bothflavor container 100 including composition 106 and smokable article 104.In this way, smokable article 104 may avoid being directly contiguous tocomposition 106 to avoid the potential contamination. As mentionedabove, flavor container 100, flavor pack bag 102, and/or container 202may define a space for holding a quantity of smokable article 104 and/orcomposition 106. Flavor pack bag 102 and container 202 may be, despiteusing the terms “bag” or “container”, any sealable or re-sealable objectof different forms, shapes, sizes, and materials that are capable ofholding smokable article 104 and/or composition 106, including but notlimited to, a bag, a tube, a jar, a bottle, a can, a bin, a tin, apouch, a box, and so forth. And, use of the word “sealable” does notrequires an air-tight seal. Indeed, for scaled-up versions of theembodiments, the flavor container 100 and/or container 202 can includeitems like walk-in refrigerators or other rooms of any size. In suchlarger spaces like refrigerators or rooms, the smokable articles could,for example, be placed in designated areas or hung or suspended in smallor large quantities in certain areas or arrangements.

In some further embodiments as shown in FIG. 3 , a flavor tube 300 isone example of a flavor container 100, and may comprise a tube 302 witha removable cap 304. In some embodiments, removable cap 304 may includeon the interior side of the cap a flavoring composition 106. In thisembodiment, the flavoring composition 106 may (as explained in moredetail below) take the form of an absorbent pad made of food-grade ornon-food-grade material that is capable of holding a flavor, for exampleby suturing the pad with the flavor. In such embodiments, when cap 304is removed, tube 302 may be filled via its open end with smokablearticle 104. When tube 302 is sealed by cap 304, flavoring composition106 of the cap 304 may then be configured to flavor smokable article 104within tube 302. As it is usually desirable that removable cap 304remain tight on tube 302 unless cap 304 is removed by the userintentionally, a retention mechanism (e.g., a threaded retentionmechanism, snap-fit, press-fit, gasket, 0-ring, etc.) between the neckof tube 302 and cap 304 may be provided to insure cap 304 can beretained against accidental removal and keep tube 302 tightly sealeduntil cap 304 is removed intentionally by the user. For example, tube302 may have a threaded neck portion and an unthreaded body portion, andcap 304 may have threads for cooperation with the threaded neck portionof tube 302. It should be noted that cap 304 may be applied to seal tube302 in various manners. For example, in some embodiments, cap 304 may beplugged into tube 302 directly instead of thread screwing thereto.

In some embodiments, composition 106 is preferably flat, with athickness of from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm, as shown in FIGS. 1-3 .Composition 106 may be an absorbent pad made of a food-grade ornon-food-grade material that is able to hold a flavor and to release(for example, time-release) the flavor inside of flavor pack bag 102,container 202, and tube 302. In some embodiments, composition 106 may bein the form of liner 108, which might be or include a reusable polymercrystal or other porous material impregnated with a flavor desired bythe smoker. So, herein, composition 106 and liner 108 are often usedinterchangeably, where applicable. The porous material may be absorbentpaper, cotton, synthetic fibrous material, or a combination of differentmaterials and papers. For example, the liner 108 can be any of a widevariety of papers and materials, including, but not limited to, cottonor other fiber-based papers, wood-pulp based papers, rolling papers,papers made from hemp or other natural or synthetic fibers, and/or anytype of generally thin sheet material produced by mechanically orchemically processing cellulose fibers derived from wood, rags, grasses,vegetable sources, natural or synthetic sources that is pressed into athin sheet material. Preferably, the liner 108 (and/or the composition106) is capable of absorbing a liquid substance, which liquid substancewould comprise, or contain, the desired flavoring composition. Forexample, the porous material may be a paper towel as absorbent material,and the flavor may be affixed by saturating the paper towel withflavoring oil. Composition 106 may include one or more volatile flavors,and may have water added to it so that composition 106 serves to reducedrying of smokable article 104 during the flavor enhancing process byproviding a stable moisture environment.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 3A shows use of a liner 108 instead of anabsorbent pad in the cap 304. In this example, the same, or a similar,tube 302 is used as was shown in FIG. 3 , but instead of the flavoringcomposition 106 being housed in the cap 304, the flavoring composition106 is contained within a liner 108 that lines all or substantially allof the interior of the tube 302. In this manner, much more surface areaof flavoring composition 106 exists to diffuse flavor into the smokablearticle 104. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the liner 108 wrapsaround the interior of the tube 302 to maximize the surface area exposedto the smokable article 104. This wrapping could go substantially allthe way around the inner cylinder of the tube 302, or could overlapitself and traverse more than 360 degrees of the inner cylinder, orcould traverse less than 360 degrees around the inner cylinder, alldepending on the user's desire. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, theliner wraps about 420 degrees around the inner cylinder of the tube 302.When the flavor container 100 is not a tube 302, the same principlesapply, namely, the liner 108 can be made to wrap around all,substantially all, substantially more than all, or simply a portion ofthe interior of whatever size and shape the container 100 happens to be.For example, if the flavor container 100 is a rectangular box, the liner108 can be placed inside the box in any orientation or arrangement, insingle or multiple sheets, to achieve the desired surface area fordiffusion. It is also to be recognized that in these types ofembodiments, there might be physical contact between the liner 108 andthe smokable article 104, in which case the type of the generic use of“diffusion” might additionally, or alternatively, be achieved byosmosis.

In other examples, when the smokable article 104 is, for example, apre-manufactured cone, the cones could be placed in a flavor container100 that is a room (for large scale production) or a flavor container100 that is hand-held size (for smaller scale or personal use) forflavoring either before or after the paper is formed into the coneshape. It should be noted that flavor container 100, flavor pack bag102, and container 202 may also, or alternatively, include a lid, cover,or cap (or door if large-scale manufacturing is employed) to releasablyand and/or sealingly close flavor container 100 or container 202.

It should also be noted that in certain embodiments it is beneficial tohave an opening of flavor pack bag 102, container 202, and tube 302 withan adequate size for easily placing and removing smokable article 104and/or composition 106. Flavor pack bag 102, container 202, and tube 302may be typically made of plastic, but may alternatively be made of anyother suitable material, including but not limited to, paper, cardboard,fiberglass, nylon, plastic, cloth materials, and the like. Othermaterials may also be acceptable as long as flavor pack bag 102,container 202, and tube 302 are leak-proof and able to be sealed toprevent the flavor from being diluted by fresh air. The dimensions offlavor pack bag 102, container 202, and tube 302 may vary withoutdeparting from the disclosure, and may be adjusted according to theamount of smokable article 104 contained therein. For example, flavorpack bag 102, container 202, and tube 302 may be designed to be able tohold any numbers of smokable article 104 (e.g., 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, andthe like) or roughly same amount of loose smokable article 104 (e.g.,chewing tobacco, loose cannabis, herbs, and the like). In someembodiments, flavor pack bag 102 and container 202 may be sealable orre-sealable plastic bags suitable for handheld manipulations andoperations, such as those sold under the trademark Ziploc® and similarbags, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

As used herein, terms such as “seal”, “sealable”, “re-sealable”,“sealingly,” and the like are used to refer to a feature of flavor packbag 102, container 202, and tube 302 whereby they are operable to beclosed in a fashion that prevents excessive flavoring escape therefrom.Although the type of “seal” in some embodiments might involve anairtight seal, this is not required. While a modest rate of diffusionfrom the sealed flavor pack bag 102, container 202, and tube 302 may beaccepted (i.e., not hermetically sealed or completely air-tight), itshould be understood that if the rate of flavor loss exceeds a certainthreshold, the flavor of smokable article 104 after the described flavorenhancing process may become unacceptable.

The flavor associated with composition 106, which can any of the commontypes and compositions of flavor, including terpenes, extracts,synthetic flavors, natural flavors, essential oils, or liquors and thelike, may be any of the hundreds or thousands of flavors desired by thesmoker, including but not limited to, sweet grape, divine chocolate,bold cherry, smooth mint, fuzzy peach, rich honey, other fruit flavors,other mint flavors, herbs, spices, etc. All or any of these flavors maybe incorporated, mixed, or singularly used in the interactive flavorenhancing process as described here. Composition 106 and/or liner 108may be colored to indicate the particular flavor provided, withdifferent colored composition 106 corresponding to different flavors.

In another embodiment, the flavor container 100 might have or includeventilation. Where the flavor container 100 is a hand-held item (suchas, for example, tube 302), the ventilation might be in the form of oneor more holes in the tube 302. Where, for example, the flavor container100 is a large-scale room, the ventilation might be in the form of oneor more vents to provide for the exchange of air within the room. Ineither case, the ventilation of the flavor container 100 can assist inthe flavoring process for the smokable article 104. As but one example,a source of flavoring might be coupled to or near an inlet into theflavor container 100, and a fan can be used to blow air over or throughthe source of flavoring into the flavor container 100 and out of the oneor more holes. Such a source of flowing, flavored air might bebeneficial in the flavoring process. In addition, a heat source couldalso be used in the air stream to facilitate the flavoring process.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of an example sequence 400 of operationsfor flavoring a smokable article using, for example, flavor container100 of FIG. 1 . Sequence 400 begins in block 402 by selecting flavorcontainer 100 according to a smoker's flavor preference. Next, the useropens the selected flavor container 100 in block 404 and places smokablearticle 104, such as a cigar, into flavor pack bag 102 in block 406.Consequently, flavor container 100 encloses both composition 106, suchas a saturated absorbent material, and smokable article 104 in flavorpack bag 102. Then, flavor pack bag 102 is sealed tightly by the smokerin block 408. With flavor pack bag 102 being sealed, flavoring fromcomposition 106 may be absorbed into smokable article 104. Lastly, afterleaving smokable article 104 in flavor pack bag 102 for a desirable timeperiod in block 410, the smoker removes smokable article 104 from flavorpack bag 102 in block 412. A demonstrated strong and distinct flavorindicates an example of a successful infusion of the flavor fromcomposition 106 to smokable article 104. In some embodiments, theduration of the time period may be anything from a several seconds toseveral days, or longer (e.g., 24 hours, etc.), and the actual durationmay be adjusted based on the desired intensity of the flavor by thesmoker (until desired flavor infusion is achieved). For example, for astronger flavor, sealed flavor pack bag 102 may be placed for a longerduration (e.g., several minutes to several days, or longer). Or, agreater surface area of flavor source (liner 108, etc.) is used.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an example sequence 500 of operationsfor flavoring a smokable article using, for example, apparatus 200 ofFIG. 2 . Sequence 500 begins in block 502 by selecting flavor container100 according to a smoker's flavor preference. Next, in block 504, theuser opens the selected flavor container 100 to allow the flavor to bediffusible, then the smoker places flavor container 100 includingcomposition 106, such as a saturated absorbent material, together withsmokable article 104, such as a cigar, into container 202 in block 506.Then, container 202 is sealed tightly by the smoker in block 508. Withcontainer 202 being sealed, flavoring from composition 106 of flavorcontainer 100 may be absorbed into smokable article 104. Lastly, afterleaving smokable article 104 in container 202 with flavor container 100for a desirable time period in block 510, the smoker removes smokablearticle 104 from container 202 in block 512. A demonstrated strong anddistinct flavor indicates an example of a successful infusion of theflavor from composition 106 to smokable article 104. In someembodiments, the duration of the time period may be anything fromseveral seconds to several days, or longer (e.g., 24 hours, etc.), andthe actual duration may be adjusted based on the desired intensity ofthe flavor by the smoker (until desired flavor infusion is achieved).For example, for a stronger flavor, sealed flavor pack bag 102 may beplaced for a longer duration (e.g., several minutes to several days, orlonger). Or, a greater surface area of flavor source (liner 108, etc.)is used.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of an example sequence 600 of operationsfor flavoring a smokable article using, for example, flavor tube 300 ofFIG. 3 or of FIG. 3A. Sequence 600 begins in block 602 by selectingflavor composition 106 according to a smoker's flavor preference. Next,the user opens a container, such as flavor tube 300 by removing cap 304from tube 302 in block 604. In some embodiments, flavor tube 300 may bepre-equipped with the selected flavor composition 106. In some otherembodiments, if desired, the user may insert the selected flavorcomposition 106 into the tube 302. This can be done, for example, byplacing the selected flavor composition 106 within cap 304 as, forexample, if a user desires to replace or change the selected flavorcomposition 106 within a given tube 302 in optional block 606 asindicated by the dashed borderline. Or, this can be done, for example,by inserting liner 108 into the tube 302. Next, the smoker placessmokable article 104 into tube 302 in block 608. Consequently, theflavor composition 106 (or liner 108), such as a saturated absorbentmaterial, and smokable article 104 are both contained within tube 302.Then, tube 302 is sealed tightly by reattaching cap 304 in block 610.With tube 302 sealed, flavoring from composition 106 may be absorbedinto smokable article 104. Lastly, after leaving smokable article 104 intube 302 for a desirable time period in block 612, the smoker removessmokable article 104 from tube 302 in block 614. A demonstrated strongand distinct flavor indicates an example of a successful infusion of theflavor from composition 106 to smokable article 104. In someembodiments, the duration of the time period may be anything fromseveral seconds to several days, or longer (e.g., 24 hours, etc.), andthe actual duration may be adjusted based on the desired intensity ofthe flavor by the smoker (until desired flavor infusion is achieved).For example, for a stronger flavor, sealed flavor tube 300 may be placedfor a longer duration (e.g., several minutes to several days, orlonger). Or, a greater surface area of flavor source (liner 108, etc.)is used.

The sequences 400, 500, and 600 are discussed with reference to theexemplary flavor container 100, apparatus 200, and flavor tube 300illustrated in FIGS. 1-3A. It will also be appreciated that sequences400, 500, and 600 may be implemented with any suitable apparatus forflavoring a smokable article. In particular, these processes are notlimited to hand-held sized apparatus, and are equally applicable tolarge scale operations wherein the flavor container 100 (or container202) is a walk-in compartment or room, and the like. It should beevident that these sequences 400, 500, and 600 are by way of example,and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying, oreliminating details without departing from the fair scope of theteaching contained in this disclosure. Furthermore, although FIGS. 4-6depict steps performed in a particular order for purpose of illustrationand discussion, the method discussed herein are not limited to anyparticular order or arrangement. One skilled in the art, using thedisclosure provided herein, will appreciate that various steps of themethods can be omitted, rearranged, combined and/or adapted in variousways.

In some embodiments, the method of the present disclosure for flavoringa smokable article may include putting a liquid solution consisting ofthe desired flavor in composition 106 or liner 108, such as, but notlimited to, terpenes, synthetic flavors, natural flavors, essential oilswith different flavors or other liquid flavor substances, into directcontact with the smokable article. The process may, beneficially, notrequire any special equipment. In some embodiments, the liquid solutioncontaining the flavor may be sprayed onto the exposed surface of thesmokable article using a normal sprayer, such as a compressed airsprayer. In some embodiments, the liquid solution containing the flavormay be injected into the smokable article using a normal syringe, suchas a disposal plastic syringe. In some embodiments, the liquid solutioncontaining the flavor may be squeezed onto the exposed surface of thesmokable article using, for example, a squeeze bottle or an eye dropper.

In some embodiments, the method of using liquid solution for flavoringas described above may occur inside of container 100, flavor pack bag102, container 202, and tube 302. In some embodiments, the flavoringprocess using liquid solution may be conducted by the user withoutflavor pack bag 102, container 202, and tube 302. This method usingliquid solution has the advantages of improving the humectantperformance of the smokable article, increasing the comfort level of thesmoker, reducing dryness of smoking, as well as providing a more rapid,and perhaps bolder, flavor compared with the methods described in thesequences 400, 500, and 600.

In some embodiments, the method of flavoring the smokable article 104can include selecting a flavor that is in liquid or aerosol form. Theliquid flavor is then applied (e.g., by spraying) directly to thesmokable article 104. The user can then optionally dry the smokablearticle 104 or allow the smokable article 104 to dry. The user can thensmoke the flavored smokable article 104.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to theembodiments discussed herein, and that a number of the conceptsdisclosed herein may be used in combination with one another or may beused separately. Therefore, the disclosure lies in the claimshereinafter appended.

While several embodiments have been described and illustrated herein,those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety ofother means and/or structures for performing the function and/orobtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages describedherein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to bewithin the scope of the embodiments described herein. More generally,those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters,dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant tobe exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials,and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application orapplications for which the teachings is/are used. Those skilled in theart will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routineexperimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments describedherein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoingembodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within thescope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, embodiments may bepracticed otherwise than as specifically described and claimed.Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individualfeature, system, article, material, and/or method described herein. Inaddition, any combination of two or more such features, systems,articles, materials, and/or methods, if such features, systems,articles, materials, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, isincluded within the scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in theclaims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements soconjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some casesand disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with“and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” ofthe elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be presentother than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause,whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified.Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when usedin conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer,in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other thanB); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionallyincluding other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should beunderstood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. Forexample, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall beinterpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, butalso including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and,optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated tothe contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when usedin the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactlyone element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or”as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusivealternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded byterms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or“exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims,shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “atleast one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should beunderstood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more ofthe elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including atleast one of each and every element specifically listed within the listof elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the listof elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally bepresent other than the elements specifically identified within the listof elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether relatedor unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as anon-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “atleast one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) canrefer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including morethan one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements otherthan B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally includingmore than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionallyincluding more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including morethan one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one stepor act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarilylimited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method arerecited.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitionalphrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,”“containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are tobe understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limitedto. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases,respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual ofPatent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.

It is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Unless limited otherwise, theterms “connected,” “coupled,” “in communication with,” and “mounted,”and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct andindirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms“connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted tophysical or mechanical connections or couplings.

The foregoing description of several embodiments of the invention hasbeen presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise steps and/or formsdisclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possiblein light of the above teaching.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for flavoring a smokable article viadiffusion, comprising: a re-sealable container configured to hold thesmokable article and a composition containing a flavor configured to bediffusible.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container isselected from the group comprising re-sealable plastic bags, boxes,bins, tubes, jars, bottles, cans, pouches, and rooms.
 3. The apparatusof claim 2, wherein said container is a sealable or re-sealable tube. 4.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said smokable article is selected fromthe group comprising cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, tobacco, CBD,cannabis, snuff, herbs, pre-rolled cones, rolling papers, pre-rolls,wraps, hemp, and blends or mixtures thereof.
 5. The apparatus of claim1, wherein said composition is selected from the group comprising apolymer crystal impregnated with a flavor, an absorbent pad, a liner,paper, cotton, sythnetic fiber, and blends or mixtures thereof.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 5, wherein said composition is a liner of porousmaterial impregnated with a flavor.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinsaid flavor is at least one of sweet grape, divine chocolate, boldcherry, smooth mint, fuzzy peach, or rich honey.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 3, wherein said re-sealable tube further includes a removable cap.9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said removable cap is threadedlycoupled to said re-sealable tube for sealing.
 10. The apparatus of claim9, wherein said composition is placed within said removable cap.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein said composition is placed inside saidtube.
 12. An apparatus for flavoring a smokable article via diffusion,comprising: a re-sealable container configured to hold both the smokablearticle and a flavor container, wherein said flavor container furthercomprises a flavor container bag configured to hold a compositioncontaining a flavor configured to be diffusible.
 13. A method forflavoring a smokable article using a flavor container, the stepscomprising: selecting a flavor container that includes a flavorcomposition therewithin; opening said flavor container; placing thesmokable article into said flavor container; closing said flavorcontainer; leaving the smokable article in said flavor container for adesired time period; and removing the smokable article from said flavorcontainer.
 14. A method for flavoring a smokable article comprising thesteps of: selecting a container; selecting a flavor composition;selecting a smokable article; opening said container; placing saidflavor composition and the smokable article into said container; closingsaid container; leaving said flavor composition and the smokable articlein said container for a desired time period; and removing the smokablearticle from said container.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein saidcontainer is a re-sealable tube with a removable cap.
 16. The method ofclaim 15, wherein said removable cap is threaded to said tube forsealing.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein said composition is placedwithin said removable cap.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein saidcomposition is placed along an inner cylinder of said container to linesubstantially all of the inner cylinder.
 19. The method of claim 15,wherein said container is a room.
 20. The method of claim 19, whereinopening said container involves opening a door to said room.